Stand up for public education

This has been edited and revised from a previously published post at http://bit.ly/hwQkl7

In the current climate of teacher bashing, increased high stakes testing and teaching, and the push to use student test scores to evaluate teachers in order to determine individual teacher rewards and punishments, it is imperative that teachers, families, and students stand up and say, “Enough” Many of us are involved in individual projects to stop the tide of mediocrity and the destruction of public education. I’d like to highlight two projects here that I feel deserve all of our support now. First, I call on teachers to stand tall in defense of our profession and for the welfare of our students by signing the declaration of professional Conscience for Teachers at the change.org petition site. You can also encourage your school to become a School of Professional Conscience by having your faculty vote to endorse the Declaration at http://bit.ly/glIdTA And, after you endorse the Declaration make sure that you take the time to discuss each paragraph and detail possible actions with colleagues at your school or in online forums.

Secondly, if you haven’t yet done so go to the Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action website at http://www.saveourschoolsmarch.org/ and make your voice heard beyond the confines of your school site. We are teachers, families, students, and community members devoted to defending public schools, teacher professionalism, and the welfare of students and their families. We are organizing a national march and conference to be held in Washington, DC, July 28 to 31, 2011. Mark your calendar and volunteer to make this march reverberate throughout the land. Our demands are: equitable funding for all public school communities, an end to high stakes testing for student, teacher, and school evaluation, curriculum developed for and by local school communities, and teacher and community leadership in forming public education policies.

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About Elisa Waingort

I am currently teaching ELA/SS to 6th and 7th grade students at an International School in Quito, Ecuador. I have been teaching for more than 25 years in South and North America. I love working with kids and every day I look forward to the challenge of learning to be a teacher.